How To Deal With Failure To Launch Anxiety

By Jeffrey Cole


It is common for children to love living under the comfortable wings of their parents. Leaving this nest becomes a problem for many teens and young adults. This makes failure to launch anxiety one of the most prevalent conditions in children at that age. Parents have a role of ensuring that it happens. Here is an expert position on how to deal with the situation.

Stop being too accommodating. It is normal for parents to find a way of helping their children overcome the situation. Some of the steps taken are weird, including hiring girlfriends for them. Do not provide this comfort because it leaves the teens or young adults with little to think about. Take away the comfort gradually and they will begin to find it elsewhere. Stop cleaning after them or providing allowances. This will act as a wakeup call.

Do not be judgmental. This is common when you abandon the victim. In fact, most parents will berate their children because they are holed up in their shells. Consider this a mental condition whereby judging will only make things worse. Be passive and calculated in trying to pass the point. It will not cause friction and will be received positively.

All players have a solution to provide. It is futile to expect the teen or young adult to provide a solution alone. Guardians and parents have a role to play. Adults in his or her life must also show the way by example. The appointed specialist will also have a contribution to make. Parents and guardians have to play their part in being firm about the change that must happen. This will encourage the victim to take reciprocal action.

There is need to form an alliance around the victim. Therapists, parents and friends should speak and act in harmony. While parents desire to change their children, they must tap into the expertise of therapist. With professional approach, it becomes easier to find a solution. When you are not pulling in the same direction, the expected results will not be realized.

Appreciate when small steps and progress is experienced. Parents and guardians can be harsh and fail to see the effort made. This is demoralizing. It is through these small steps that the affected person grows in confidence. When he can put his cloths in the bin, that is progress. Reinforce it to enable the situation to improve. It is these steps that add up into major improvements over time.

Your actions must be realistic and supportive. While you make effort to see an improvement, it should not be to the extent of causing the victim to break down. Gradually extend the boundaries to reflect the changes that have occurred. Provide the support through actions other than just talking. It is by providing this support that the anxiety will be taken away.

Hope is an important ingredient in providing a solution. The victim is struggling enough to make the small steps. Encourage him or her and show that it is possible. Even when the outcome is not satisfactory, provide hope that further action will lead to better results. Without hope, all the efforts you will be putting towards changing the situation will be useless. By providing hope, you make what appears difficult to look possible.




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